“Writing ‘Kind’ Was Like Falling In Love”: Dillon Discusses Her Latest LP

Returning with her new LP Kind last week, São Paulo-via-Berlin’s Dillon (or Dominique Dillon de Byington) has been churning out electro-shrouded pop since 2011 and making a name for herself as one of the genre’s finest exports across three full-length records.

Kind, a venture into brassy, glitchy soundscapes, finds the artist emerging from a period of struggle when tackling the dubious second album and blooming as themes of love and recuperation thread their way across its ten tracks. In line with the release, Dillon talks visual inspiration, struggles and the honesty behind her latest release – just don’t go comparing her to any other artists…

Dillon plays London’s Institute of Contemporary Arts on 13 Dec with tickets available from right here. Kind is out now.

You describe Kind as focused on love and recuperation. Given love is pretty much fundamental to humans and society, does that make it easier or harder to write an album about?

The content of this album came very naturally to me and I did not struggle to find my words. However, writing cannot be generalised, no matter what the subject is. Everyone has their different ways and pastes of communicating. Some things that I have difficulties with might come easily to you and vice versa.

Having overcome writer’s block with the 2nd record, how easy was the process of making the 3rd in terms of writing?

I never lost the ability to write. Rather, I refused to write until I was ready to do so. My 2nd album deals with extreme pain and fear, and for a long time, I was not ready to approach and write about those parts of myself. I refuse to refer to this as having had or having overcome writer’s block. Writing Kind was like falling in love. It felt warm & exciting. Nerve wrecking and soothing all at once.

Killing Time features the great lyric “When push comes to shove / Killing time by making love.” Is honesty in lyrics something you find comes naturally?

I do, yes. Not only in words, but in life.

The album artwork is incredibly striking, what visual inspirations fed into Kind and the visuals?

Thank you. My previous covers were the main inspiration. Those, and flowers. During every production comes a point when a colour takes over. This Silence Kills is red, The Unknown is flesh and Kind is pink. On my 1st album I am a statue, on the 2nd I am drowning and now this time I am growing.

There’s been some Joanna Newsom and Bjork comparisons made with your music and this record. Do you find comparisons add a pressure when creating music?

Not at all. I am only compared to other artists by journalists and strangers, which makes it very easy to step away from and realise that is not personal, but much rather, it is an uncreative attempt of putting their minds at ease.

Being 19 when you started releasing music, how do your aspirations with music differ now to back then?

I don’t think they do. I started making music in order to not be alone with my thoughts all the time without having to silence myself and that is still my main motivation.

Discover the best in new music and today’s top artists with Amazon Music Unlimited. Start your 30-day free trial now.